Random Hall Lego Robotics Seminar


general, beginning UNIX info

more advanced details, laptop details


Beginning UNIX info:

ls [directory] list the files in [directory] - if you don't specify a directory it lists the files in the current directory

cp [from] [to] copy a file

rm [file] deletes a file

mv [from] [to] moves a file / renames a file

man [command] find out more about a command

cd [directory] moves you into a directory

mkdir [directory] creates a directory

emacs [file] edits a text file (such as a c program)

more [file] displays a text file

ic lets you talk to a board

put an & after a command to get your prompt back before the command is done emacs [file] &

directory short hand:

. the curent directory cp [file] . copies [file] to your curent directory

.. the parent directory cd .. takes you back a directory

~ your home directory cp [file] ~ copies [file] to you directory no matter where you are

/ the root directory (the top level directory) cd / takes you to the top level

[dir]/[file] refers to a file in a directory emacs lego/prog.c :edits the prog.c file inside of the lego directory

these can be used in combinations:

cd ~/Private takes you into the private directory off of your home directory

ls /usr/local/ic/libs/ (you get the idea)


More advanced UNIX, laptop details

(presented in random tidbit order)

To interface with the laptops, we have small square green "interface boards". One side connects through a cable to the laptop serial port (nine pins, on the right back side), the other side connects through a phone cable to a handyboard.

To logout, get a new Xterm, run IC, and many other things on the laptops, left-click on the background when logged in, you'll get a menu of commands.

To create an account on the laptops, log in as root (ask if you don't know the password) and run linuxconf.
Pick something like "host and user information", "user accounts", or "normal user accounts", click "Add", pick a login name and a real name, and enter "random" for the "group" field (leave other fields blank). Click Ok, enter a password, and when you're done, quit the program. Logout and log back in with your new account.

to copy files to/from floppy disks, use mcopy:
mcopy prog.c a: (for example)

To get networking working (currently set up on laptop #1 only), you may have to remove and then insert the pcmcia network card. ssh and scp are installed.

your home directory is /home/username

IC is in /usr/local/ic/

the files installed in any new user account are in /etc/skel

you can modify your .xsession and .bash_profile to customize your experience.